This invention relates generally to the production of power, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for generating power by utilizing the force of a flowing liquid.
The need to generate power in times of crisis and the need to generate power from a relatively inexpensive resource have long been felt. Inventors have tried for some time to create an apparatus and method that will generate power for little cost. The ability to generate power from an inexpensive resource when access to traditional power, namely power supplied by a power company, is not available due to power shortages or natural disasters is needed.
Also, in times when emergency power is not required, the ability to generate such power assists in preserving the environment by lessening the burden on power companies to provide power, and the ability to generate power would save consumers money on monthly electric bills. The need to generate power from an inexpensive resource will become of even more importance as other more expensive resources of the world dwindle and disappear over the course of time.
There have been attempts in the prior art to harness the kinetic energy of a flowing liquid in order to generate power. However, these attempts are either impractical, difficult to scale, difficult to distribute, awkward to use, or simply will not work. Therefore, an apparatus and method are needed that generates power from a flowing liquid.
This invention provides an apparatus and a method for generating power from a flowing liquid. The invention provides an apparatus comprising a control unit selectively operable between a first control unit configuration and a second control unit configuration for receiving the flowing liquid and selectively directing the flowing liquid to a first power unit aperture when the control unit is in the first control unit configuration, and selectively directing the flowing liquid to a second power unit aperture when the control unit is in the second control unit configuration; a power unit for generating power, including: (1) a power chamber having the first power unit aperture for receiving the flowing liquid from the control unit, and a second power unit aperture for receiving the flowing liquid from the control unit, (2) a power operator operable between a first power operator position and a second power operator position and disposed within the power chamber, operatively configured so the power operator becomes disposed in the first power operator position when the control unit is disposed in the first control unit configuration, and so that the power operator becomes disposed in the second power operator position when the control unit is disposed in the second control unit configuration, and (3) a power transmission linkage operatively communicating with said power operator for transmitting power as said power operator reciprocates between said first power operator position and said second power operator position; and a reversing unit to adjust the control unit configuration to become disposed in the first control unit configuration when the power operator becomes disposed in the second power operator position, and to adjust the control unit configuration to become disposed in the second control unit configuration when the power operator becomes disposed in the first power operator position.
The invention provides a method comprising passing the flowing liquid to a control unit selectively operable between a first control unit configuration and a second control unit configuration; directing, selectively, the flowing liquid to a first power unit aperture when said control unit is in said first control unit configuration, and selectively directing said flowing liquid to a second power unit aperture when said control unit is in said second control unit configuration; forcing a power operator operable between a first power operator position and a second power operator position and disposed within the power unit, to the first power operator position when receiving flowing liquid from the first power unit aperture and to the second power operator position when receiving flowing liquid from the second power unit aperture; transmitting power through a power transmission linkage operatively communicated with the power operator as said power operator reciprocates between the first power operator position and the second power operator position; and directing the flowing liquid to a reversing unit to adjust the control unit configuration to become disposed in the first control unit configuration when the power operator becomes disposed in the second power operator position, and to adjust the control unit configuration to become disposed in the second control unit configuration when the power operator becomes disposed in the first power operator position.